Reflections
Who Would Do It?
Who Would Do It? This story has the shortest verse in the bible. “Jesus wept.” Sit with that and let it sink in. Welcome your own tears and irritability. Your fear and anxiety and boredom and for any hard things in your day. Give space to the suffering in our world...
Sight & Insight
Sight and Insight Here is an invitation to let your eyes fall on the quotes until your heart signals it would like to linger with one. Then rest there and let the words fall into your heart. "There is a place in everyone that can carry the light. God has made it this...
Living Source
Living Source by Janice MacLean I traveled with a friend to the crypt of church in Nablus in Palestine where, by tradition, the story of the woman at the well takes place. There was a well. There was a bucket. I had a drink of water. Ordinary water. It was more than...
Questions?
Written by Catherine Smith, Sackville NB. Catherine shares her writing and her passion for rural ministries at Hem of the Light. Holy One All through Lent You have fed us with questions. What is your deepest desire? What do you want me to do for you? Who do you say...
A Gratitude Journal for Lent
Practicing thankfulness is a power that turns our heart toward Love and that energy heals the world. Here is a Gratitude practice you can use during Lent. Copy the page for the six weeks of Lent or use the page as a guideline for writing in your gratitude journal....
A Prayer for Lent
By Jane Doull Holy Wisdom, you are with us in the desert, the lonely places, the unknown, the in-between. We seek the courage to stay in those difficult places, the patience to await the light we need, the faithfulness to choose the journey of the heart,...
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday brings us back to Earth. What are these ashes? Perhaps they are last Easter’s palm hosanna’s waved in joy, now presented to the fire. Once full of life, now grey-shadowed dust transformed, and lying in a waiting bowl. Ash Wednesday brings us back to...
The Hours of Christmas Day
The Hours of Christmas Day Praying the Hours is an ancient tradition and spiritual practice offered to hallow each day. Keeping the Hours began as prayers of the people. The ordinary workday was interspersed with times of prayer. Today it is mostly monks who follow...
Practicing Advent
Advent happens and it is beyond our control. Advent happens whether we have all the time in the world or a little bit. That’s the truth Jesus is teaching in this tiny parable. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its...
Breathing into Advent
I trust in the long arc of Goodness. Right now, we are somewhere “betwixt and between.” Some familiar things must end so new things can begin. Some things break down so something better things can emerge. This is a hard truth to live through. It not just now. George...
Running toward Bethlehem
The shepherds went “with haste” to Bethlehem. “They left, running” says The Message translation. I like this image. Men, boys, running toward Bethlehem through the field, running, in the deep dark of night. They wanted to see for themselves the wonder announced in the...
Lent Calendar – 40 Gestures
40 Gestures Supporting Mindfulness & Presence Lent Getting ready for the Mystery of Easter. Lent A slow showing of God in the ordinary. Lent 40 days of noticing life shining in the mystery of everyday. Lent Calling us to gratitude, mindfulness, intention. Lent...
Curiosity
Curiosity Read Matthew 2:1-12 “… they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising until it stopped over the place where the child was.” (v.9) Meditation This year let’s commit to living from a place of Epiphany. We’ll willingly...
Seeing
Seeing Read Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 “…the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah.” v.15 Meditation The in-between way is murky. What once was well defined is now blurred. What brought...
Emptying
Emptying Read John 2:1-11 “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” (v.7,8) Meditation This in-between space of living with covid is teaching us about the common good. We have glimpses of...
Inhabiting Advent
Inhabiting Advent by Janice MacLean These months of COVID have given us practice in waiting, in longing, in wondering, in watching. These good Advent words have a different sense as they pull us through a pandemic. It’s a long Advent we’re in. We are still...
This Moment
This Moment by Janice MacLean They wait. They visit the Temple. They do their routine, day in and day out. So, when an ordinary couple with a tiny baby in her arms and the meagre sacrifice of two turtledoves in his hands come in they see they know. They hold the...
An Image for Our Time
This is a mandorla. It’s a good image for this span of time. Mandorla means “almond” in Italian. It is the space where two circles intersect, where two opposites come together. I think of it is a kind of intertidal zone between being beached and bereft and being...
